This month, Graham made the cover of the British version of the fashion magazine and they felt the need to write a little piece on why she was chosen. Here it is:

WHAT makes a Vogue cover girl? Good looks, inimitable style, and someone who feels relevant, right now. This month, Ashley Graham fits the bill.

Although she has risen to prominence through her modelling work for plus-sized brands, helping to diminish body-issue insecurities in a generation of women, Graham’s size wasn’t the deciding cover factor when editor-in-chief Alexandra Shulman chose her to front the first issue of 2017. She is articulate, has an opinion worth listening to, and an infectious energy that anyone who has worked with her in the fashion industry will attest to.

But while they might have chosen the model for her relevance, the interview still touched on weight:

Size, however, is a reoccurring talking point that surrounds the star and Graham spoke enthusiastically on the subject – and her experiences relating to it – to Vogue contributing editor Christa D’Souza for her accompanying interview.

“For 10 years I’d been told I was always going to be a catalogue girl, never a cover girl. Well, I got with IMG and did five covers in a year, boom, boom, boom. See, if you have a pretty face doors will open, but your job isn’t just to walk through them, it’s to get invited back,” she told D’Souza. “Look, I hit the beauty jackpot, I get it, but that’s not enough, you’ve got to have more to have longevity in this business. It’s always been, ‘OK, so what can I do now?’”

Graham, who gained global fame when she modelled lingerie for plus-size clothing store Lane Bryant, touched on the term that has become synonymous with her, and other models who are more than a size 12: “plus-size”.

“When we’re supposed to be talking about diversity for women, it feels so divisive and purpose-defeating, giving us yet another label,” she said. She does, however, acknowledge that her body shape, and positive promotion of it, has been not only her own USP, but an inspiration to millions of women who feel forgotten when it comes to finding fashion to fit.

“Do I sometimes wish I were thinner? God, in the old days, absolutely I did, but now I feel that to lose weight would be disloyal to myself,” she explained. “A lot of who I am is connected to my size, and I am so happy with who I am.”